NYT Books

In “The Playbook,” James Shapiro offers a resonant history of the Federal Theater Project, a Depression-era program that gave work to writers and actors until politics took center stage.

In “The Editor,” Sara B. Franklin argues that Judith Jones was a “publishing legend,” transcending industry sexism to champion cookbooks — and Anne Frank.

In “Cunning Folk,” Tabitha Stanmore takes us back to a time when the use of “service magic” was an everyday — and underground — practice.

In “The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt,” Edward F. O’Keefe explores the informal kitchen cabinet that helped Roosevelt, the 26th president, speak softly and carry a big stick.

“The Devil’s Best Trick,” Randall Sullivan’s in-depth occult investigation, is not for the easily frightened.

In David Nicholls’s “You Are Here,” a boggy trek through the English countryside becomes an unlikely impetus for midlife romance.

In “A Walk in the Park,” Kevin Fedarko recounts a trek-of-a-lifetime that becomes a nightmare in one of America’s most stunning sites. At least he can laugh about it.

A new biography of the performer, writer and director Elaine May has the intensity to match its subject.

Teddy Wayne takes a swing at sex, class and sporty intrigue in his latest novel, “The Winner.”

Stuart E. Eizenstat has served half a dozen U.S. presidents and made a lot of friends. In “The Art of Diplomacy,” he lays out some of their teachable moments.